Nanako Hirose
Directing
Biography
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1987, she graduated from Musashino Art University and joined Bunbuku Inc. in 2011. She made her highly anticipated directorial debut in 2019 with the original feature film His Lost Name, starring Yuya Yagira. The film earned international acclaim, screening at the 23rd Busan International Film Festival, and went on to receive a Special Mention at the 19th TOKYO FILMEX as well as the Best New Director Award at the 34th Takasaki Film Festival. In December of the same year, she released Book-Paper-Scissors, an intimate documentary following the renowned book designer Nobuyoshi Kikuchi, which also garnered a Special Mention at the 20th TOKYO FILMEX. Showcasing her versatility, she directed episodes 3 and 5 of the acclaimed drama series Junichi, original work by Areno Inoue, and participated as a director in TV dramas including Soredemo Ai Wo Chikai Masuka? (ABC TV) and Kaze no Fuku Shima (TV Tokyo).
Known For
Jun'ichi is a young man without job or home who seems to have a great power of fascination over woman. He crosses the paths of different women who are unsatisfied with their lives and find comfort in his presence. It is a subtle love story between Jun'ichi's drifting life and six different woman from 16 to 65 years old.
Junichi
Middle-aged widower Tetsuro finds an unconscious, homeless young man on the riverbank in his small seaside town. Offering him room in his home, Tetsuro and the man who calls himself Shinichi develop a father-son dynamic, despite the secrets that linger between them.
His Lost Name
A married woman pursues a simultaneous relationship with a female lover — and proposes that all three live together.
Between Two Lovers
Nobuyoshi Kikuchi has devoted his life to books. Over the course of his career, he has designed more than 15,000 book covers. Even in the digital age, he still works with a ruler, scissors, and pencils, creating unique fonts, and being meticulous about the properties of the chosen paper. He enjoys the personal exchange with authors, a good cup of coffee, and a stroll through the flea market. Nanako Hirose presents a fascinating portrait of a seemingly old-fashioned personality – but maybe it is exactly this kind of personality which can give an inspiration to reflect on the really valuable things in life?